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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHIVI/ICMH 
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microfiches. 


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10X  14X  18X  22X 


12X 


16X 


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26X 


30X 


7 


24X 


28X 


1 


32X 


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whichever  applies. 


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dernlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
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la  derni^re  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  dee  symboies  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernlAre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  Ie 
cas:  Ie  symbols  —►  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  ie 
symbols  V  signifie  "FIN". 


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beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  end  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  Atre 
fiimte  A  des  taux  de  reduction  diffirents. 
Lorsque  ie  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seui  cliche,  ii  est  fiimA  d  partir 
de  i'angle  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  ie  nombre 
d'images  n6cesssire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  m^thode. 


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I 


GOLOIl^L  JETOll^  OF  LOUl^  XV 


AND    OTHER   PIECES    RELATING   TO 


THE  FRENCH  COLONIAL  POSSESSIONS  IN  AMERICA, 


\s 


AND   TO 


THEIR  CONQUEST   BY   ENGLAND. 


HY 


GEORGE  M.  PARSONS. 


KEI'RINTED    KKOM   THE   AMERICAN    JOURNAL  OF    NUMKSMATICS. 


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•  •••••••           ••'. 

COLUMimS,  OHIO. 

I'KINTEU   FOR  PRIVATE  CIRCULATION. 

1884. 

L  ^    BIBLIOTHECSyE    #  J 

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T 11 E 


COLONIAL  JETONS  OF  LOUIS  XV. 


N  the  latter  part  of  the  reign  of  Louis  XV,  a  series  of  pieces 
relating  to  the  French  colonies  in  America  were   issued  by 
the  Mint  of  France, — not  coins  nor  medals, — but  known  as 
Jetons.     They  have  been  referred  to  in  the  American  Journal 
of  Ahimismatics,  but  deserve  a  more  extended  notice.     Their 
devices  and   legends,  although  somewhat  boastful,  are  poetic 
in  conception,  and  refined  in  expression  ;  interesting  in  them- 
selves, they  are  doubly  so  when  considered  in  connection  with 
the  history  of  the  French  colonies  in  America,  which  will  be 
briefly  noticed  before  any  description  of  them  is  given. 

The  first  French  settlement  on  the  northern  coast  of 
America  was  made  in  1604,  at  the  Island  of  St.  Croix,  on 
the  river  now  bearing  the  same  name,  under  the  provisions  of 
a  patent  granted  to  De  Monts  for  the  colonization  of  New  France,  which, 
by  its  terms,  extended  from  the  fortieth  to  the  forty-sixth  degree  of  north 
latitude.  There  had  been  for  many  years  visits  to,  and  explorations  of, 
the  continent,  as  well  as  landings  and  attempts  at  settlement;  but  the  first 
settlement  which  continued  any  length  of  time  was  at  the  island,  then  named 
St.  Croix,  now  known  as  De  Monts'  Lsland.  Subsequently,  a  mission  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church  was  established  at  Mt.  Desert,  in  Penobscot  Bay, 
which  was  broken  up  by  Capt.  Argall  in  16 13.  In  1608,  Quebec  was  founded 
by  Chami)lain,  at  a  places  which  he  had  visited  on  a  previous  exploration  of 
the  St.  Lawrence.  The  next  year  he  discovered  the  lake  far  to  the  south, 
which  has  ever  since  borne  his  name.  From  and  after  16 15,  missionaries 
of  the  Roman  Church  came  over  from  I'Vance  on  the  solicitation  of  Cham- 
plain,  and  to  the  zeal  and  self-sacrificing  devotion  of  this  body  of  men  and 


69805 


i' 


i 


4  T//JI  COLONIAL  JETONS   OF  LOUIS  XV. 

their  successors,  France  was  in  a  great  measure  indebted  for  the  preser/a- 
tion  and  extension  of  its  American  colonies. 

The  first  movement  westward  was  through  the  region  north  of  Lake 
Ontario,  the  hostihty  of  the  Indians  of  the  Five  Nations  rendering  progress 
by  any  other  route  impossible.  An  early  visit  of  the  priests  to  the  Indians  on 
Lake  Huron,  and  the  establishment  of  a  mission  among  them,  paved  the  way 
for  advance  in  this  direction,  and  thus  the  French  gained  access  to  Niagara 
and  the  upper  lakes,  and,  eventually,  a  starting  point  for  their  expedition 
down  the  Mississippi  River.  The  force  of  this  expedition  consisted  of 
Marquette  and  Joliet, — the  priest  and  the  soldier, — and  five  other  F"renchmen. 
On  the  loth  of  June,  1673,  they  left  the  Fox  River,  which  has  its  oudet  in 
Green  Bay,  carried  their  canoes  across  the  narrow  portage  which  separates  it 
from  the  Wisconsin,  and  started  on  their  voyage,  uncertain  whether  it  would 
end  on  the  Pacific  coast  or  on  i^^e  Atlantic.  Reaching  the  Mississippi,  they 
went  boldly  on  their  way,  making  friends  of  the  savages  who  inhabited  the 
country  through  which  they  passed,  and  continued  until  they  reached  a  point 
at  which  they  became  satisfied  that  the  river  ran  neither  to  the  Pacific  nor  to 
the  Atlantic  in  the  neighborhood  of  Florida,  but  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 
From  this  point  they  returned,  and  leaving  the  river  some  distance  below  the 
mouth  of  the  Wisconsin,  proceeded  eastward  until  they  reached  the  Illinois, 
which  they  ascended,  and  were  conducted  by  friendly  Indians  to  Lake 
Michigan. 

In  1682,  another  party,  under  the  leadership  of  La  Salle,  descended  the 
Mississippi  River  by  the  way  of  the  Illinois,  and  reached  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
whence  the  party  returned  to  Quebec.  Visiting  France,  La  Salle  induced  the 
government  to  fit  out  a  vessel  that  should  proceed  directly  to  the  Gulf,  and 
establish  a  colony  in  the  regions  to  which  he  had  given  the  name  of 
Louisiana.  He  sailed  beyond  the  outlet  he  sought,  and  was  shipwrecked  on 
the  coast  of  the  present  State  of  Texas.  There  he  built  a  fort  from  the 
materials  of  the  wrecked  vessel,  and  called  the  post  St.  Louis.  The  colony 
failed  to  maintain  itself  La  Salle  was  murdered  by  some  of  his  companions, 
who  themselves  perished. 

In  1698,  an  expedition  on  a  large  scale  was  sent  out  by  the  government, 
under  the  command  of  D'Iberville,  who  not  only  reached  the  great  river,  but 
in  small  boats  ascended  as  far  as  the  mouth  of  the  Red  River.  He  built  a  fort 
at  Biloxi,  on  the  bay  of  that  name,  and  there  he  established  his  colony  and 
the  capital  of  Louisiana.  The  settlements  in  this  region  never  prospered,  in 
spite  of  a  lavish  expenditure  of  money  by  the  government  and  by  the  trading 
companies  to  whom  a  monopoly  of  traffic  was  given.  The  emigrants  sought 
for  gold  and  silver,  which  were  not  to  be  found,  and  failed  to  reap  the  rich 
harvests  that  might  have  been  gathered  under  a  genial  climate  from  a  fertile 


i 


i 


I 


77//:    COLONIAL  JETONS  OF  LOUIS  XV. 


5 


soil.    The  last  attempt  at  colonization  on  a  large  scale  was  made  in  171 7,  under 
the  auspices  of  Law.      This  enterprise  failed  from  lack  of  funds,  when  his 
bankruptcy  occurred  in  1720.     Enough,  however,  was  done  to  establish  the 
$       '^     •        well  recognized  claim  of  France  to  Louisiana,  which  embraced  the  valley  of 
^  -        the  Mississippi,  from  the  Rio  del  Norte  on  the  west,  to  a  line  on  the  east 

which  extended  from  a  point  midway  between  the  Bay  of  Biloxi  and  Pensa- 
cola,  northward  to  the  headwaters  of  the  sources  of  the  Ohio. 

In  the  north  there  was  continual  activity  and  continual  advance  by  the 
French.  Positions  of  importance  ha^!  been  won  and  lost  and  won  again.  The 
French  had  a  happy  faculty  of  ingratiating  themselves  with  the  Indians,  and 
of  converting  them  from  enemies  into  zealous  allies.  Friendly  relations  were 
established  with  the  Five  Nations,  which,  although  they  were  not  durable,  had 
enabled  the  French  to  traverse  Lake  Ontario  and  open  another  communica- 
tion with  their  posts  in  the  west.  The  advance  of  the  French  was  a  menace 
to  the  English  colonies  on  die  coast,  and  resistance  on  the  part  of  the  latter 
kept  the  country  in  a  state  of  warfare  that  had  no  intermission.  The  scheme 
of  establishing  a  powerful  empire  in  New  France — the  most  magnificent  that 
any  government  had  ever  devised — seemed  to  be  in  rapid  progress  towards 
realization.  This  scheme  was  not  limited  to  the  possession  of  the  country 
which  lay  west  of  the  great  range  of  the  mountains.  The  capture  of  New 
York  was  en.rly  considered  a  necessity  and  the  approaches  of  the  French  were 
dangerously  near  to  the  coveted  point. 

Two  expeditions  against  Quebec,  of  land  and  naval  forces  combined,  met 
with  signal  failure.  The  first  was  set  on  foot  in  1690.  Its  main  object  was 
the  capture  of  Quebec,  to  be  undertaken  by  a  force  sent  by  sea  from  Boston; 
another,  partly  composed  of  troops  from  New  York  and  Connecticut,  set 
out  by  land  to  make  a  diversion  by  an  attack  on  Montreal.  Dissensions 
sprung  up  between  the  commanders  of  the  New  York  and  Connecticut 
troops,  and  the  party  never  even  came  within  sight  of  the  St.  Lawrence. 
The  force  from  Boston  reached  Quebec  and  demanded  its  surrender,  but 
the  French  commander  was  prepared  for  resistance,  and  refused  to  comply  with 
the  summons.  As  no  news  had  been  received  of  the  force  that  was  to  come 
from  the  south,  and  as  any  attack  without  its  co-operation  would  be  in  vain, 
the  fleet  sailed  away  with  its  two  thousand  men,  without  having  struck  a 
blow.  A  medal  was  issued  in  France  in  celebration  of  this  happy  deliverance. 
On  the  obverse  there  is  shown  the  bust  of  Louis  XIV,  with  his  customary 
grand  air,  and  surrounded  by  the  inscription  LUDovrcus  magnus  rex  christi- 
ANissiMi's.  On  the  reverse  (Fig.  13),  France  is  represented  as  seated  in  a 
proud  attitude  on  the  summit  of  a  small  hill,  her  arm  resting  on  her  shield, 
which  is  ])lazoncd  with  the  three  lilies  of  her  device ;  under  her  feet  is  the 
shield  of  her  adversary,  and  behind  her  hangs  drooping  a  flag  which  shows 


^ 


I 


'f 


:f 


V\ 


THE  COLONIAL  JETONS   OF  LOUIS  XV. 


the  arms  of  England.  At  the  foot  of  the  hill  reclines  a  river  god  who  looks 
up  in  admiration.  On  the  side  of  the  hill  is  the  beaver,  which  figures  so  con- 
spicuously in  several  of  the  jetons  hereafter  described.  The  inscriptions 
FRANCiA  IN  NOVA  ORHE  vicTRix,  "  France  victorious  in  the  new  world,"  and 
KEDECA  LiHERATA,  "  Quebcc  delivered,"  show  what  importance  was  attached 
to  the  event.  When  we  consider,  howeve.-,  the  circumstances  of  the  case,  it 
would  seem  that  a  more  appropriate  inscription  would  be,  Britannia  in  nova 
ORBE  iNFELix,  "  Britannia  unsuccessful  in  the  New  World."  Nova  Scotia  was 
taken  in  1710,  and  remained  in  the  possession  of  the  English.  The  loss  of 
this  territory  was  the  only  loss  sustained  by  the  French.  Louisbourg,  a 
strongly  fortified  town  on  Cape  Breton,  had  been  captured  in  1745,  but  it 
was  afterwards  restored  to  the  French  and  remained  in  their  hands  until  the 
decisive  war  broke  out.     The  movement  was  always  forward. 

On  the  beginning  of  the  last  half  of  the  eighteenth  century  the  French 
had  erected  and  maintained  fort,,  at  Crown  Point  the  southern  end  of  Lake 
Champlain,  at  Frontenac  on  the  northern  shore  of  Lake  Ontario  at  the  point 
of  its  discharge  into  the  St.  Lawrence,  on  the  Niagara  at  Lewiston,  at 
Detroit,  at  Presque  Isle  the  peninsula  which  lies  outside  the  present  City  of 
Erie ;  and  had  built  Fort  Duquesne,  at  the  junction  of  the  Alleghany  and 
Monongahela  rivers,  the  present  site  of  Pittsburgh.  At  a  later  date  Ticonde- 
roga  fort  was  built  twelve  miles  south  of  Crown  Point,  on  the  small  stream  by 
which  the  waters  of  Lake  George  are  conducted  to  Lake  Champlain. 

There  were  settlements  on  the  Wabash  at  Vincennes  in  the  present  State 
of  Indiana,  and  at  numerous  points  on  the  Mississippi.  Thus  were  safely 
established  several  routes  of  communication,  not  only  with  the  trading  posts 
on  the  upper  lakes,  but  with  the  regions  on  the  gulf.  The  Einglish,  on  the 
other  hand,  had  in  1722,  converted  a  trading  station  at  Oswego  into  a  well 
fortified  military  post,  which  was  subsequently  supported  by  Fort  George, 
four  miles  to  the  south,  on  Oswego  River;  when  the  condition  of  affairs 
approached  the  critical  point,  they  built  Fort  William  Henry  at  the  southern 
end  of  Lake  George,  and  Fort  Edward  not  far  distant,  on  the  northern  bank 
of  the  Hudson. 

There  was  not,  at  any  time,  peace  between  the  English  and  the  French 
on  the  northern  frontiers,  but  there  were  no  active  operations  against  the 
latter  at  other  points,  until  the  attempt  to  break  their  line  of  communication 
in  the  west.  This  was  made  by  an  effort  to  extend  the  Virginia  settlements 
to  the  Ohio,  and  to  establish  trading  posts  under  the  conduct  of  a  company 
known  as  "  The  London  Ohio  Company,"  which  had  received  a  large  grant 
of  territory. 

The  French  resisted  this  encroachment,  drove  off  the  traders,  and  by 
working  upon  the  jealousy  of  their  Indian  allies,  rendered  a  return  impossible. 


THE   COLONIAL  JETONS   OF  LOUIS  XV.  7 

^n  1753  Washington  was  sent  by  the  Governor  of  Virginia  on  a  tour  of  obser- 
vation to  the  Ohio.  He  bore  a  letter  to  the  commander  of  a  fort  which  had 
been  erected  on  a  small  stream  flowing  into  the  Ohio,  requiring  that  officer 
to  vacate  the  territory  belonging  to  the  British  government.  This  request 
was  not  heeded.  In  1754  he  was  again  sent  out  with  a  small  force  for  the 
purpose  of  erecting  forts  at  several  points,  which,  from  observations  made  the 
previous  year,  were  deemed  important  to  be  occupied.  He  found  a  superior 
force  in  possession  of  Fort  Duquesne,  and  after  a  severe  engagement  was 
forced  to  retire.  In  the  following  year  another  attempt  to  capture  the  fort 
was  made  by  a  large  detachment  of  regulars  from  the  standing  army  of  Eng- 
land, aided  by  Provincial  troops,  under  the  command  of  General  Braddock; 
but  he  was  defeated,  and  his  failure  is  one  of  the  memorable  events  of 
colonial  history.  Early  in  1756  England  found  herself  obliged  to  take  up  in 
earnest  the  cause  of  her  colonies,  and  declared  war  against  France. 

The  plan  of  a  campaign  which  was  immediately  adopted,  was  frustrated 
by  the  energy  of  Montcalm,  then  in  command  in  Canada.  He  assembled  a 
large  force  of  regulars  and  Indian  allies,  and  made  a  vigorous  attack  by  regular 
siege  on  the  two  forts  at  Oswego,  which  the  English  had  erected  several  years 
before.  They  were  captured  in  August,  and  although  they  were  not  occupied 
by  the  French,  but  were  razed  to  the  ground,  their  loss  so  disconcerted  the 
British  that  all  offensive  operations  for  the  year  were  abandoned.  The  cap- 
ture of  Oswego  was  commemorated  on  a  medal,  now  rare,  on  which  was  the 
inscription,  surrounding  the  bust  of  the  king,  ludovicus  xv  orbis  imperator. 
Below  was  the  date  of  mintage,  1758.     For  reverse  of  this  medal  see  Fig.  12. 

The  campaign  of  1 757  was  also  disastrous  to  the  English.  One  expedition 
against  Louisbourg  returned  without  having  made  an  attack  ;  while  the  French, 
by  the  capture  of  Fort  William  Henry,  and  by  an  excursion  against  some  rich 
settlements  on  the  Mohawk,  excited  alarm  for  the  safety  of  Albany.  In  1758 
Louisbourg  and  Fort  Duquesne  were  taken  by  the  British,  but  they  were 
repulsed  in  an  attack  upon  Ticonderoga,  and  suffered  a  loss  only  equaled  by 
that  sustained  in  the  defeat  of  Braddock.  In  1759  F'ort  Niagara  was  captured, 
Quebec  was  assaulted  and  taken,  and  in  1760  the  conquest  of  Canada  was 
completed  by  the  surrender  of  Montreal.  From  that  time  nothing  of  the 
Empire  of  New  France  remaint^l  except  the  portion  of  Louisiana  which  lay 
west  of  the  centre  of  the  Mississippi  River,  from  its  source  to  the  River 
Iberville,  and  thence  eastward  to  the  Gulf,  leaving  to  the  French  a  small  tract 
on  the  left  bank  of  the  river.  This  was  the  line  established  by  the  treaty 
of  1762. 

The  history  of  the  long  contest,  which  extended  through  a  century  and  a 
half,  is  full  of  interest,  but  its  principal  points  which  have  been  noticed  will 
be  sufficient  to  enable  us  to  understand  and  appreciate  the  fitness  and  the 


/a 


8 


THE   COLONIAL  JETONS   OF  LOUIS  XV. 


force  of  the  Jetons  of  Louis  XV.  Only  eight  of  those  relating  to  the  French 
colonies  in  America  have  come  under  the  notice  of  the  writer.  The  first  was 
issued  in  1 751,  and  one  was  issued  each  succeeding  year  thereafter.  The 
obverse  of  one  is  shown  in  the  plate  of  illustrations  (Fig.  i);  the  obverse  of 
the  others  has  the  same  general  character,  the  draped  bust  of  the  king  to 
the  right,  with  his  title  of  the  Most  Christian  King,  in  Latin,  abbreviated. 
It  will  be  seen  on  examination  of  the  reverses  that  the  devices  and  legends 
are  of  two  classes.  One  relates  to  commerce  and  the  pursuits  of  peaceful 
life.  The  jetons  of  1752  (Fig.  3),  1754  (Fig.  5),  and  1755  (Fig.  6),  are  of  this 
class.  That  of  1752  bears  the  image  of  Mercury  gracefully  moving  through 
the  air,  while  above  him  is  the  legend,  utrique  facit  commercia  mundo.  "  He 
establishes  commerce  with  both  worlds." 

The  fishermen  of  Breton,  in  France,  were  the  first  and  for  a  long  time 
the  most  numerous  visitors  to  the  fishing  banks  of  Newfoundland.  In  addition 
to  this  source  of  trade  the  French  opened  a  traffic  in  furs  with  the  Indians  of 
the  Northwest  as  soon  as  they  were  established  on  the  St.  Lawrence.  While 
communications  were  confined  to  a  long  and  tedious  land  transit,  this  traffic 
was  enjoyed  only  to  a  limited  extent.  After  the  unmolested  navigation  of  the 
river  and  of  Lake  Ontario  had  been  secured  by  treaties  with  the  Indians  of 
the  Five  Nations,  and  by  the  establishment  of  military  stations,  the  distant 
posts  of  Mackinaw  and  Green  Bay  were  brought  near  to  Montreal  and  Quebec, 
and  as  the  trade  in  furs  was  substantially  a  monopoly  in  the  hands  of  the 
French,  it  became  very  profitable  to  them.  This  feature  of  the  relation 
between  France  and  her  colonies  in  America  naturally  suggested  the  jeton 
of  1752. 

The  jetons  of  1754  and  1755  evidently  refer  to  one  subject.  That  of 
1754  represents  a  field  of  corn  by  the  side  of  a  river,  on  the  farther  bank  of 
which  three  beavers  are  at  work,  and  the  legend  is,  non  [Nkeriora  metafxis. 
"  Not  inferior  to  metals."  The  device  of  the  jeton  of  1755  is  a  galley,  and 
from  its  masthead  a  beaver  pelt  is  suspended.  The  legend  is,  non  vilius 
aureo.     "  Not  less  valuable  than  the  golden." 

The  opinion  had  for  a  long  time  prevailed  in  France  that  gold  and  silver, 
and  even  pearls,  were  to  be  found  in  America,  and  the  lime  and  the  energies 
of  the  early  emigrants  to  Louisiana  had  been  wasted  in  a  vain  search  for  those 
treasures.  That  delusion  had  been  dispelled,  and  the  nation  was  soon  con- 
vinced that  wealth  was  to  be  gathered  only  by  labor  emplo>eil  in  securing  the 
natural  products  of  the  country.  This  is  beautifully  expressed  in  the  jeton  of 
1754,  on  which  the  beaver  and  the  Indian  corn  are  declared  to  be  not 
inferior  to  metals.  The  idea  is  repeated  in  the  jeton  of  the  following  year, 
which  declares  in  a  forcible  manner  that  the  Argonauts  who  sailed  from 
France  would  find  no  Colchis  in  America  whence  to  bring  the  golden  (leece. 


.fc.f 


THE  COLONIAL  JETONS  OF  LOUIS  XV. 


l^ 


f 


.if 


but  there  was  to  be  found,  as  a  reward  of  their  enterprise,  the  pelt  of  the 
beaver,  which  han<js  at  the  mast-head  of  the  returninj^  <,^alley,  not  less  valuable 
than  the  treasure  sought  by  Jason. 

The  five  remaining  jetons  are  of  a  different  character.  They  speak  of 
ambition,  enterprise,  dominion,  and  conquest  by  force  of  arms.  The  first  of 
the  series  issued  in  1751  (Fig.  2),  represents  an  Indian  gazing  upon  a  group 
of  lilies,  while  from  the  river,  which  flows  at  his  feet,  an  alligator  climbs  the 
banks.  The  legend,  sun  omni  sidkke  crescunt,  "They  grow  under  every 
constellation,"  in  connection  with  its  subject,  is  an  expressive  declaration  of 
the  extent  to  which  the  French  had  pushed  their  colonial  settlements.  F>om 
the  mouth  of  the  St.  Lawrence  to  the  regions  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  indi- 
cated,— the  one  by  the  Indian  with  his  bow  and  arrows,  the  other  by  the 
alligator. — the  lily,  the  emblem  of  France,  was  represented  either  by  fortified 
cities  and  military  posts,  or  was  carved  on  the  trunks  of  the  trees  of  the  forest, 
or  on  monuments  erected  in  conspicuous  places  as  an  assertion  of  sovereignty. 

The  value  of  this  assertion  of  a  claim  to  the  possession  of  territory  is 
shown  by  the  fact  that  after  the  expedition  under  D'Iberville  had  sailed  in 
1698,  William  III  of  England  sent  a  vessel  to  the  Mississippi  with  the  purpose 
of  establishing  a  settlement.  The  vessel  ascended  the  river  some  distance, 
where  it  was  met  by  Bienville,  the  brother  of  D'Iberville  in  his  barge.  On  his 
representation  that  the  territory  belonged  to  F>ance,  the  captain  of  the  vessel 
retired.     The  point  at  which  this  event  occurred  is  still  known  as  English  Turn. 

On  the  jeton  of  1753  (Fig.  4),  are  two  globes,  one  of  which  displays  the 
outlines  of  the  western,  the  other  those  of  the  eastern  hemisphere.  Above, 
the  sun  diffuses  its  rays  in  splendor  over  both  globes,  and  the  legend  is,  satis 
UN'us  UTRigui:,  "One  is  sufficient  for  each:"  The  sun  of  France  suffices  for 
both  worlds.  This  declaration  would  by  Itself  reveal  the  far-reaching  ambition 
of  FVance,  which  would  soon,  if  not  interrupted  in  its  career,  extend  its 
possessions  even  to  the  Atlantic  coast.  The  boastful  assumption  of  this 
avowal  is  only  equaled  by  that  of  Spain  in  its  claim  to  sovereignty  over  the 
South  American  continent,  which  was  asserted  on  a  crown  of  Charles  II. 
On  this  coin  there  were  represented  two  globes,  between  which  rose  a 
crowned  sceptre,  and  above  was  the  inscription,  UNUS  non  sufficit,  "  One  is 
not  enough." 

The  device  of  the  jeton  of  1756*  (Fig.  7)  shows  two  beehives  with  a 
swarm  of  bees  passing  from  one  to  the  other,  with  the  legend  above,  sedem 
NON  ANiMUM  MUTANT,  "They  change  the  seat,  not  the  mind."  This  legend  is 
a  beautiful  adaptation  of  a  sentiment  expressed  by  Horace  in  his  epistle  to 

*  The  writer  unfortunately  does  not  ])osscss  the  jeton  which  is  in  all  probability  the  only  one  in  this  country. 

of  1756.     He  takes  pleasure  in  acknowledging  the  kind-  The  writer  is  also  indebted  to  Mr.  Applcton  for  the  use 

ness  of  Mr.  William  S.  Appleton,  who  loaned,  tor  the  of  the  Dnti  h  medal  of  lyfo,  so  that  both  faces  might  be 

purpose  of  illustration,  the  specimen  in  his  collection,  represented  on  the  plate  of  illustrations. 


10 


THE  COLONIAL  JETONS   OF  LOUIS  XV. 


Builatius.  (Epist.  I.  xi :  27.)  The  latter,  oppressed  by  care,  sought  relief  by 
traveling  from  rity  to  city.  Horace  told  him  that  his  cure  was  not  to  be 
effected  in  this  manner,  since 

"  Coelum  non  animum  mutant  qui  trans  mare  cuvrurt," — 

I'  They  change  the  climate,  not  the  character,  who  cross  the  seas."  There 
is  more  in  the  device  and  legend  of  this  jeton  than  appears  at  the  first  glance. 
The  explanation  of  the  uninterrupted  -'dvance  of  the  French,  even  to  the 
third  year  of  die  war,  is  to  be  found  in  the  harmony  of  feeling  and  unity  of 
action  which  marked  all  their  operations.  The  reverse  was  the  case  with  the 
colonies  ot  England  before  the  war;  while,  for  several  years  after  the  war 
began,  jealousies  and  lack  of  harmony  betv  een  the  army  of  En^Tland  and  the 
provincial  forces  impeded  military  operations.  The  English  settlements  were 
made  by  separate  colonies  composed  of  emigrants  of  different  characte-s  and 
with  different  purposes,  and  it  was  difficult  to  secure  a  hearty  co-operation  in 
the  execution  of  any  plan  for  resisting  the  encroachments  of  their  enemy. 

The  harmony  prevailing  among  the  French  arose  from  unwavering  loyalty 
to  the"  government  of  France.  Neither  soldier,  priest,  nor  civilian,  ever 
swerved  from  allegiance  to  the  crown  ;  Frenchmen  on  leaving  home,  French- 
men they  remained  to  the  end.  There  was  no  thought  of  independent  action, 
no  purpose  of  revolt.  Whenever  an  expedition  was  made,  even  to  the  regions 
most  remote  from  the  centre  of  the  colonial  government  on  the  St.  Lawrence, 
it  was  the  sovereignty  of  France  that  was  asserted,  and  her  glory  that  was 
proclaimed.  The  English  cdonists  always  dreamed  of  independence,  the 
French  never. 

That  the  French  gove'-ament  understood  and  reciprocated  this  feeling,  is 
fully  shown  by  the  issue  of  the  jetons  under  r:c .osideration.  It  had  already,'  in 
1670,  exhibited  its  concern  for  the  American  colonists  by  issuing,  expressly 
for  circulation  among  them,  silver  coins  of  two  denominations,  which  differed 
from  the  ordinary  coinage  in  this,  that  the  arms  of  France  on  the  reverse  were 
surrounded  by  the  inscription,  uloriam  regni  na  dicent,  "  They  shall  speak 
of  the  glory  of  thy  kingdom."  (Figs.  10,  1 1 .)  The  significant  jeton  of  1 756 
declares  that  three  quarters  of  a  century  later  no  change  of  feelintr  had 
followed  a  change  of  place. 

It  is  taken  for  granted  that  the  inscription  on  the  coins  of  1670  has 
reference  to  the  political  character  of  the  relations  existing  between  the 
French  colonies  in  America  and  the  parent  country.  It  is  from  the  CXLV 
Psalm  of  David,  the  loth  and  i  ith  verses  of  which  are  as  follows  :— 

10.  "All  Thy  works  shall  praise  Thee,  O  Lord!  and  Thy  saints  shall 
bless  Thee. 


I  : 


I  ' 


THE  COLONIAL  JETCNS  OF  LOUIS  XV. 


II 


II.  "They  shall  ^ipeak  of  the  glory  ox^  Thy  kingdom,  and  talk  of  Thy 
power." 

It  was  suggested  by  the  late  Professor  Anthon,  to  whose  research  we 
are  indebted  for  an  interesting  history  of  this  beautiful  coin,  and  for  our 
knowledge  of  the  source  of  its  legend,  that  it  was  the  ecclesiastical  character 
of  French  colonization  which  led  to  the  quotation  ;  the  suggestion  doubtless 
arose  from  the  nature  of  the  context.  It  is,  however,  always  permitted  to 
employ  a  sentence  that  is  disassociated  from  its  context  by  quotation,  in  a 
manner  entirely  different  from  its  original  use.  This  occurs  in  the  applica- 
tion of  the  inscription  on  the  jeton  of  1756,  where  it  is  obvious  that  the 
purpose  of  the  jeton  was  not  the  same  which  Horace  sought  to  accom- 
plish by  his  advice  to  his  friend.  It  is  important  to  notice  in  this  connec- 
tion the  fact  that  there  is  not  on  any  known  jeton  or  medal  the  slightest 
allusion  to  the  signal  services  rendered  by  the  members  of  the  priesthood  in 
the  establishment,  extension,  and  protection  of  the  French  colonies.  It 
seems,  therefore,  reasonable  to  conclude,  that  the  inscription  on  these  coins 
was  employed  to  declare  that  from  the  colonists,  without  distinction  of  classes, 
was  to  proceed  the  song  of  praise. 

The  English  government  never  issued  any  coins  of  importance  in  the 
interest  of  its  American  colonies,  and  v/hen,  in  1652,  Massachusetts  put  into 
circulation  its  famous  pine  tree  coins,  they  bore  no  reference  whatever  to 
England. 

The  jeton  of  1757  (Fig.  8)  represents  Neptune  and  a  warrior  embarked 
upon  a  shell,  which  floats  gracefully  over  the  water.  The  legend  is,  parat 
ULTIMA  TERRA  TRiUMi'MOS,  "  The  remotest  region  prepares  triumphs."  The 
design  and  execution  of  the  device  is  bold  and  spirited.  The  warrior  with 
shield  (which  is  W?  ined  with  the  lilies  of  France)  and  spear  advanced, 
presses  on  as  if  eager  for  the  conflict,  while  Neptune  with  his  trident  makes 
smooth  the  passage. 

The  remaining  jeton  (Fig.  9)  shows  the  broad  sea,  and  from  the  further 
shore,  on  which  strnds  a  city,  a  flight  of  eagles  has  taken  wing  and  is 
approaching  a  rocky  coast  seen  in  the  foieground  to  the  left.  The  legend  is, 
EADEM  ruANS  AEi^uoRA  VIRTUS,  "The  same  bravery  beyond  the  seas."  The 
eagles  advance  in  graceful  and  easy  movement,  and  the  piece,  although  not 
possessing  the  strong  features  of  the  others,  is  not  less  beautiful  than  they. 
These  two  jetons  are  the  first  which  refer  directly  to  military  operations. 
Hoth  are  of  the  same  character,  and  tell  of  victories  g"Jned  and  of  courage 
unabated.  The)'  undoubtedly  refer  to  the  success  which  had  hitherto  fallen 
to  die  arms  of  the  French,  and  to  the  re-inforcements  which  were  sent 
forward  in  preparation  for  further  contests.     No  more  expressive  symbol  of 


12 


THE  COLONIAL  JETONS   OF  LOUIS  XV. 


military  re-inforcements  could  be  adopted  than  that  of  the  last  jeton,  where 
the  eagles  are  seen  still  rising  from  the  distant  shore  from  which  the  advance 
had  been  made.  Enough  has  been  said  of  the  events  of  1756  and  1757  to 
render  unnecessary  any  more  particular  explanation  of  these  two  pieces. 

The  last  jeton  may  seem  out  of  place  in  view  of  the  fact  that  in  1758  the 
Island  of  Cape  Breton  and  Louisbourg  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  British 
forces ;  but  the  surrender  did  not  take  place  until  the  last  week  in  August,  in 
all  probability  long  after  the  jeton  was  issued.  It  is  not  probable  that  the 
French  government  ever  issued  more  than  these  eight  jetons  relating  to  its 
American  colonies.  The  one  issued  in  1751,  in  its  representation  of  the 
sturdy  growth  of  the  lily  on  a  foreign  soil,  seems  properly  to  introduce  the 
series,  which  as  properly  is  ended  in  1758.  These  jetons  are  valuable  in  the 
evidence  which  ,they  afford  that  the  French  government  was  in  fact  in  earnest 
in  its  efforts  to  establish  a  New  France  on  the  North  American  continent. 


After  the  war  was  ended  a  number  of  medals  were  struck  by  the  English 
in  commemoration  of  their  victories,  several  of  which  are  especially  interesting 
in  connection  with  the  jetons  of  1751,  1753,  and  1757. 

One  issued  on  account  of  the  capture  of  Louisbourg,  the  dies  of  which 
were  cut  by  Pingo,  shows  on  the  obverse  the  bombardment  of  that  city,  and 
on  the  reverse  (Fig.  14),  a  point  of  rock  projecting  boldly  over  the  sea.  On 
the  top  lies  a  naked  female,  representing  France,  crushed  by  a  big  globe, 
inscribed  Canada  and  America  ;  on  one  side  of  it  stands  a  sailor  waving  his 
cap  ;  on  the  other  an  English  grenadier,  and  behind  him  the  British  flag ; 
above.  Fame  flies  through  the  air  blowing  her  trumpet  and  carrying  a  wreath 
of  laurel.  Between  the  soldier  and  the  sailor  is  the  inscription,  pakiter  in 
liELi.A,  "  Equally  (i)rave  or  successful)  in  war."  The  female  seems  to  be 
making  efforts  to  push  off  the  weight  which  fastens  her  to  the  rock.  Her 
head  is  raised,  her  left  arm  supports  her  position,  her  right  hand  rests  upon 
the  edge  of  the  precipice,  wJiile  from  its  relaxed  grasp  a  lily  falls  below.  It 
is  difficult  to  understantl  why  a  medal  so  carefully  designed  and  executed 
should  represent  the  defeat  of  l-'rance  by  the  figure  of  a  female  lying  under 
an  immense  globe.  A  possible  explanation  is  found  by  reference  to  the 
jeton  of  1753:  the  globe  on  tlie  medal  which  shows  on  its  surface  the  out- 
lines of  the  western  hemisphere  is  one  of  the  two  for  which  the  one  sun  of 
France  sufficed.  It  must  be  confessed  that  the  satire  of  this  portion  of  the 
medal,  while  severe,  is  awkward  antl  coarse. 

Another  medal  (Fig.  15)  has  for  its  oI)verse  the  laurel-crowned  bust  of 
George  II,  and  on  its  reverse,  for  the  central  design,  the  figure  of  Britannia 
seated  in  a  chariot  drawn  by  a  lion  ;  on  one  side  walks  Liberty,  on  the  other 
Justice,  above   is  the  inscription,  idEDis  invictum,  "An  invincible  league"  — 


THE  COLONIAL  JETONS   OF  LOUIS  XV. 


13 


rlish 


and  the  path  of  the  triumphal  procession  is  strewn  with  lilies.  In  every 
respect  this  is  a  beautiful  medal.  The  movement  of  the  procession  towards 
the  spectator  is  shown  with  great  skill,  while  the  satire  of  the  design,  so 
effective  in  its  severity,  is  conveyed  with  a  delicacy  that  is  beyond  criticism. 
A  third  medal  celebrates  the  victory  of  the  English  over  the  French  in  a 
naval  fight  off  Belle  Isle.  The  obverse  displays  Britannia  with  shield  and 
trident,  riding  the  waves  triumphantly  seated  on  a  sea-horse,  while  Victory 
with  a  laurel  wreath  is  flying  above  her ;  the  legend  is  Britain  trivmphed 
HAWKE  COMMANDED.  The  reversc,  which  is  shown  in  the  plate  (Fig.  16),  bears 
an  emblematic  group  of  figures,  and  in  the  exergue  the  words  France  relin- 
quishes THE  sea.  This  marine  disaster,  it  will  be  seen,  is  represented  by  a 
foot  soldier  stepping  to  the  land  from  the  ocean,  typified  by  a  sea  monster, 
who,  as  the  tempest  vainly  tries  to  resist  the  advancing  galley  of  England. 
The  propriety  of  representing  the  naval  force  of  France  by  a  foot  soldier  may 
well  be  doubted  unless  it  was  intended  as  a  satirical  reply  to  the  jeton  of  1757, 
issued  only  two  years  before  the  naval  engagement.  On  the  medal  the 
soldier  of  the  jeton  is  pushing  forward,  not  in  eagerness  for  the  strife  as 
when  crossing  the  sea  with  propitious  Neptune  for  his  companion,  but  in 
ignominious  flight.  His  sword  is  used  to  secure  his  footing  on  the  land, 
while  his  shield  is  held  behind  him  to  protect  his  person  from  the  avenging 
thunderbolts  of  Britannia,  who  is  close  in  pursuit,  regardless  of  Night,  who 
flies  to  restrain  her. 


The  war,  whose  victories  are  celebrated  in  these  medals,  was  not  confined 
to  England  and  France.  All  the  principal  powers  of  Europe  were  in  the 
field,  and  the  contest  was  carried  on  in  every  quarter  of  the  globe.  Wherever 
a  weak  point  was  found  by  either  side,  a  heavy  blow  was  struck.  The  medal 
relating  to  Oswego,  which  has  been  spoken  of,  commemorated  also  the  cap- 
ture by  the  P>ench  of  Wesel,  an  important  post  in  the  Prussian  provinces  on 
the  Rhine,  of  Port  Mahon.  the  capital  of  Minorca,  and  of  St.  David's,  a  strong 
position  ])elonging  to  the  English  on  the  coast  of  Coromandel,  on  the  western 
side  of  the  Bay  ol  Benr^al.  The  capture  of  these  positions  and  of  Oswego,  in 
various  parts  of  the  world,  was  considered  sufficient  authority  for  bestowing 
on  the  King  of  I'Vance  the  title  of  "  ordis  imperator." 

It  will  be  observed  that  there  is  also  on  the  last  of  the  Flnglish  medals, 
which  are  shown  on  the  plate  of  illustrations  (Fig.  15),  a  list  of  places,  as  well 
in  luiropc  and  Africa  as  in  America,  where  the  arms  of  P'rance  had  fallen 
before  those  of  luigland.  —  Goree,  Senegal,  St.  Malo,  Cherbourg,  Louisbourg, 
I''rontenac,  and  Hutjucsne,  and  in  each  instance  there  is  added  the  name  of 
the  successful  commander.  It  can  hardly  be  doubted  that  this  enumeration  of 
victories  was  made  in  re|)ly  to  the  boastfiil  character  of  the  Oswego  medal, — 


H 


THE  COLONIAL  JETONS  OF  LOUIS  XV. 


a  reply  which  is  the  more  forcible  from  the  fact  that  th'  list  of  French  victories 
is  eclipsed  by  the  larger  list  of  those  achieved  by  the  English. 

There  is  another  medal,  the  sting  of  which  is  found  in  an  inverted  lily,  in 
the  centre  of  a  shield  on  either  side  of  which  are  the  lion  and  the  unicorn  of 
England,  and  above  is  the  inscription,  perfidia  eversa,  "  Perfidy  overthrown." 
This  medal  also  mentions  other  important  captures  from  the  French  and  the 
Spaniards.  Still  another  medal  is  devoted  especially  to  the  celebration  of  the 
conquest  of  Guadeloupe,  one  of  the  most  valued  possessions  of  the  French  in 
the  West  Indies. 

Although  the  cause  of  the  war  was  removed  by  the  conquest  of  Canada 
in  1760,  hostilities  on  the  continent  continued  until  1762,  on  account  of  the 
difficulty  of  settling  the  conflicting  interests  of  the  various  allies  of  the  two 
principal  parties  to  the  conflict.  A  treaty  was  negotiated  in  1 761,  but,  not 
being  satisfactory,  was  not  ratified.  There  was,  however,  a  general  desire  for 
peace.  The  English,  although  successful,  felt  the  heavy  drain  upon  their 
treasury  for  expenses  and  for  subsidies  to  their  allies.  France,  and  Spain 
who  had  joined  France  from  Bourbon  sympathy — had  both  suffered  in  the 
loss  of  colonies  and  commerce.  The  Dutch  had  taken  a  neutral  position  on 
the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  and  their  territory  enjoyed  immunity  from 
invasion ;  but  it  was  charged  by  England  that  they  had  transjjorted  from 
Sweden  to  their  own  ports,  arms  and  munition  of  war,  which  soon  found  their 
way  to  the  French,  and  had  given  the  protection  of  their  flag  to  commerce 
between  France  and  her  colonies  in  the  West  Indies.  The  English  conse- 
quently seized  and  condemned  the  merchant  vessels  of  the  Dutch  whenever 
they  were  met  on  any  sea.  Under  this  condition  of  affairs  there  was  but 
little  difficulty  in  negotiating  a  second  treaty,  which  was  concluded  and 
signed  on  the  23d  of  November,  1762. 

This  brief  summary  will  be  sufficient  for  the  explanation  of  a  beautiful 
medal  struck  by  the  Dutch  in  1762,  which  is  shown  on  the  plate  of  illustra- 
tions, and  a  notice  of  it  will  close  this  article. 

This  may  be  considered  exclusively  a  peace  medal.  On  the  obverse 
(Fig.  17)  is  seen  a  column,  against  the  base  of  which  the  shields  of  England 
and  Prance — no  longer  clashing — quietly  rest.  On  the  shaft  are  fastened  the 
arms  of  Austria,  while  an  Indian — among  European  medalists  the  invariable 
type  of  America — holds  up  a  cherub  in  the  act  of  crowning  the  column  with  a 
small  image  bearing  a  branch  of  the  olive  tree.  The  legend,  evropae  almam 
NE  tardet  pacem,  "  Let  nothing  delay  the  sweet  peace  of  Europe,"  being  an 
invocation  for  peace,  would  indicate  either  that  the  medal  was  struck  before 
the  execution  of  the  treaty,  or  that  a  fear  existed  that  peace  might  not  follow, 


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THE  COLONIAL  JETONS   OF  LOUIS  XV. 


15 


In  either  case,  it  well  expresses  the  feeling  which  prevailed  with  all  parties 
engaged  in  or  afifected  by  the  war.  The  reverse  (Fig.  18)  shows  Mercury, 
who  bears  in  one  hand  the  caduceus  and  an  olive  branch,  and  with  the  other 
gently  strokes  the  mane  of  the  lion  of  the  Batavi, — the  emblem  of  the 
Dutch,  —  which  rests  in  placable  mood  among  boxes  and  barrels,  and  other 
signs  of  prosperous  trade,  and  upholds  a  staff,  on  which  is  a  Liberty  cap,  and 
the  clustered  arrows  of  the  United  Provinces,  while  in  the  background  ships 
are  filling  their  sails  for  distant  ports.  The  legend,  dvret  vsqve  ad  aeternvm, 
"  May  it  endure  forever,"  is  a  prayer  well  in  harmony  with  the  peaceful 
scene:  —  a  vain  prayer,  since  but  a  short  time  elapsed  before  another  war 
broke  out,  the  result  of  which  was  the  establishment  of  the  independence 
of  the  American  colonies, — a  result  which  possibly  excited  among  the  English 
a  regret  that  there  had  not  been  at  an  early  date  an  amicable  adjustment  of 
division  lines  between  the  French  and  English  colonies  in  America. 


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